B S O M B I N ': 03/25/2020 - Pandemic In The City Of Angels (Pt.1

Thanks for stoppin' by and checkin' out my blog! It's been a minute since I posted anything here. But, I figured this would be a good time to get back to blogging, with all the free time I have on my hands right now. For the most part I have been staying home, since the Governor of California and Mayor of Los Angeles both issued "Stay at home" orders a couple of weeks ago. The grocery store, the pet store, the laundromat, and the mechanic are the only places I've had to go, since the order was put into effect. But, after getting my truck out of the shop last week, I did make one "non-essential" trip outside. I took a drive around the city, last Wednesday, to see first hand what Los Angeles looks like during this strange time in our history. And, of course, I took my camera along to document the day. For the sake of being safe, I went alone, took most of the pictures from inside my truck, and didn't get near anyone the few times I did get out of the truck. And, I cleaned and disinfected everything that I took with me, when I got home, just to be safe.

Over the years, I have seen a lot, while living in this city. From civil protests to riots to wild fires... I've been here to see all kinds of crazy and surreal moments in this city's history. But, obviously, none more bizarre or frightening than the one we are currently in. So I wanted to document this moment in our city's and humanity's history by touring the city with my camera. It felt like I was driving around in the Twilight Zone, as I toured an empty Los Angeles on a Wednesday in the middle of March. During what should have been rush hour, the streets and freeways were almost empty. There was no traffic anywhere at any point during my drive. The busiest part of town, turned out the be Van Nuys. But, even there the intersections only had a handful of cars in them and the sidewalks were empty. I doubt (and pray) that I will ever see the streets and freeways of Los Angeles as empty and open as they were (and currently are). It gave me a sense of comfort, knowing that the large majority of the city is staying home and following the social distancing guide lines to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But, the greater sense was a sense of discomfort... Kind of like the quite before the storm. The City of Angels was a ghost town, and it had a spooky feel to it. Hopefully, though, all the numbers that are being projected will be reduced by everyone following the "Stay at home" order.

I started out in Van Nuys and made Sherman Oaks my first stop, before driving down Ventura Blvd. to Studio City...